Investor Profile: Maki.vc — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

If you are a technical founder in the Nordics wondering how to get funding from Maki.vc, the Helsinki firm's pitch is direct: it wants to be the first-round partner for category-changing companies, starting from day zero. Maki.vc backs deep tech and brand-driven startups across consumer and enterprise, favouring scientific advances, strong IP and customer insight that looks beyond convention. Its portfolio includes quantum computing company IQM, sustainable fibre producer Spinnova, Happeo and Ultmate.ai, acquired by Zendesk.

The investment thesis

Maki.vc seeks exceptional technical founders with a global mindset and aims to partner from day 0, investing in first rounds of under €5 million. Beyond capital, it offers fast, decisive cheques and follow-on rounds, stage-specific support to get from 0 to 1 and scale, access to an operator and talent network, and warm introductions to leading VCs worldwide — helping exceptional Nordic founders build thriving global companies.

Sectors and stages: what Maki.vc funding covers

Maki.vc invests at pre-seed and seed, typically into rounds raising up to €5 million. The Nordics are its home, but it takes a global view on sourcing, backing B2B and B2C companies alike — from quantum computing and biotech to climate, green chemistry and brand-driven consumer plays. Its "for founders" page is explicit: it wants world-class founding teams across tech and go-to-market, founders deeply obsessed with customers, and teams thinking global from day one. It is not a fit for hands-off capital, locally focused businesses, or Series A and beyond.

Fund size and cheque size

Maki.vc's compliance disclosure states it actively invests from the €82.2 million Maki.vc Fund III, with the €80 million Fund I and €100 million Fund II reserved for selective follow-ons. First cheques range from €300,000 to €3 million, with around two-thirds of the fund reserved for follow-ons. (The firm's launch announcement billed the third fund as a €100 million vehicle; the compliance figure is the legal one.)

Notable portfolio

Standout names include IQM, one of the world's leading quantum teams, Spinnova, Happeo, Ultmate.ai, EniferBio, insect-protein company Volare, CarbonCloud, Strise, TILT Biotherapeutics, French deeptech Ever Dye, Distance and smart-glasses startup IXI.

Partners

Maki.vc was co-founded in 2018 by Ilkka Kivimäki and Pirkka Palomäki. Palomäki is Founding Partner, Pauliina Martikainen is Managing Partner, Paavo Räisänen is General Partner and Wilson Tukiainen is Investment Manager. Early backers included Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa, Supercell co-founders Ilkka Paananen and Mikko Kodisoja, plus Tesi, OP Financial Group, Nordea, Varma and Ilmarinen.

Programmes run

Instead of an accelerator, Maki.vc operates Maki House in Helsinki — the firm's base and a founder community where hundreds of global LPs, advisors and operators support portfolio companies with recruiting, branding, commercialisation and follow-on fundraising.

How to apply for funding

Founders can pitch directly: the firm's fund announcement invites breakthrough ideas to [email protected], and the "for founders" page lays out the fit criteria. Expect a hands-on process — portfolio founders such as IQM's Jan Goetz praise the team for showing up between rounds, not just at board meetings. The strongest fit is a technical, globally ambitious team raising pre-seed or seed up to €5 million.